


Spiritus

by Eccentric_Bambi



Series: Gaze-Tober [4]
Category: the GazettE
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Ghosts, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Murder Mystery, Paranormal, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-09 07:55:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12272163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eccentric_Bambi/pseuds/Eccentric_Bambi
Summary: Yuu just wanted to be normal. But being cursed with the Sight as a child ruined any and all hopes of such a ridiculous notion. Now with a small angry ghost latching onto him, he has no choice but to help him find the light.DAY 4 OF FICTOBER





	1. Small and Angry

**Author's Note:**

> #4: Everybody always teases Aoi about how scared he is of the supernatural, but they don't know the reason why he developed that fear in the first place.
> 
> (Definitely not as angsty. I decided to go more lighthearted for this one :p Again I am late, but I hope this is ok!)

There was something about Yuu that no one really knew about, something that made him able to see and talk to ghosts.

Yuu was always told that having a certain ability that made him stand out from other people was a gift. That it made him important,  someone special even. His mom knew he was special from the soft all white tuft of hair growth as a cowlick on his forehead as a baby.

But he never felt special. Not since the visions started coming to him when he was just a child.

It started in primary school. He would be playing on the swingset with his friends when a new kid at the school showed up. Someone he never saw before. A young girl, maybe a few years younger and super cute.

She was so cute that Yuu instantly gravitated towards her. But he was confused when no other kids would acknowledge her even being there. So he stayed with her and ditched his friends, not knowing that from then on his life would change.

He began to realize that she wasn't supposed to be there, not supposed to be visible. As he grew older she stayed younger. Once he was around his first year of middle school he knew he wasn't normal. Kids started to tease him relentlessly when he refused to do dumb things late at night. Or go see scary movies that had paranormal elements. He had his reasons though, but none of them got it. 

The only one who understood was his own mother, knowing her son was special. Even so, she started making him dye his white cowlick black to match the rest of his hair. 

From then on he saw more and more spirits, knowing they weren't supposed to be seen by him but he couldn't help it. They sought him out, begging for help. But he couldn't help them no matter what he did.

It continued like this and degraded his mental health to the point where he talked to no one else. So when he reached high school everyone knew him as the social outcast, the freak with a pretty face who talked to himself sometimes when he thought no one was looking.

Then in his third year, a really terrible thing happened to him. A spirit, a violent one, found him at home alone. It screamed and cried, begging to be helped. The lights went out, and all the glass would fly off the shelves. His mom would come home to find him crying in the bathroom with a ring of salt all around him. The ghost would not leave him alone and they left that house, never looking back. 

He was scarred for life. That much was certain. It would not do him any good to stay in this town so she made the decision that would hopefully change his life.

They packed up what they had and moved directly to Tokyo, where he was put in a new school. Since then he always avoided ghosts, making sure to run when he saw one. Soon it began to get better because they had no idea that he saw them and ignored him.

He was seeing them less and less, and his high school years seemed to finally be peaceful for once. And he made friends easily, leaving his bad reputation behind.

But ever since then he always hated being alone at night. 

Yuu was now twenty three years old, living on his own after his mother had gone back to Mie when he was twenty one. Now he had a life if one could call it that. A job at a small clothing store in a mall nearby, and plenty of friends at his university. Kouyou and Akira were guys who worked in the skateboard store next to him and they all became friends pretty quick.

They always went out late and partied, like normal college students would. But He never stayed somewhere where they couldn't be seen by other people. Or go places that were supposedly haunted. Akira and Kouyou teased him relentlessly about it, but they were his friends so it was all in good fun. So he didn't mind at all. 

But something about the house he was living in was... weird? After his mom left the house seemed... more empty than before. There was one empty bedroom that his mom was in, but was now host to his bookshelves and extra junk. It all felt bigger and colder. He stared at the too big kotatsu in the living room, the alternative to the couch he sold off already. 

Maybe he should find a smaller apartment? They got this one with two people in mind but now... Well. Yuu was just not sure anymore. A smaller apartment would be cheaper too. This was seriously digging into his student loan paybacks... Okay then, fuck it. He was gonna do it. Now to look for something nearby.

"Now to not sleep at all," he sighed and went to his room. "Maybe I should call Aki and Kou to help me out."

******************

Well, it worked. The new place was a one bedroom, one bathroom unit closer to his work and closer to his university. Kouyou and Akira helped him move his stuff in, and he rented a storage unit to put useless junk in. 

It was perfect. Except... For one problem.

"Hey." 

A ghost. A fucking ghost was in his apartment.

What the hell? Yuu spun around to where the voice came from, only for his heart to literally drop to his stomach. A... A damn ghost. Stood in front of him. Directly. Standing in his living room. Just... standing. And Yuu was sure he made a terrible mistake. 

"Oh No... No no no."

The ghost sat on the floor, huffing. He wore new looking clothes, so... he couldn't have been dead that long. Right? Normal skinny jeans, a graphic tee, and a plain leather zip-up jacket. 

"So you can see me. That's certainly a first," he sighed almost impatiently. "Do you have any idea how long I was waiting for someone like you to come along?"

He was small and angry, but had a childish innocence to his face and puffed out cheeks. But that didn't help the panic that made Yuu stutter and stumble back against the counter. Ice spiked through him, making him feel helpless. 

"N-no, not again! Why are you here! Why can't you move on?"

The spirit frowned heavily, getting up from the floor to walk towards Yuu, a hand on his transparent hip. 

"Isn't it obvious, you damn idiot? I'm stuck. My body is not at rest, so you gotta help me out."

 _'No... Nonononono!_ '

Yuu had sworn off helping ghosts. After... what happened to him as a kid, he just... couldn't handle it anymore. There was a trauma that wasn't just erased. He needed help. But this wasn't it. It wasn't that he was afraid of the ghosts themselves, it was that he was afraid of what might happen if he couldn't do it right. 

"Who are you? What happened to you?" 

The spirit was young, looking similar in age to Yuu himself. Small, a bit under six feet but above five feet. So much anger in such a small body. But soon that anger turned to a desperate stare, his eyebrows knitting together in anxiety.

"I know this is sudden, but I can't go to anyone else. My name is Takanori. I was murdered by a gang, but I don't know what happened to my body. If you find it, my spirit can be at Peace. So please, Yuu-san, please help me."

Yuu groaned, smacking his face. 

"Damn it."

Maybe he should have stayed in that old apartment after all.

**TBC**


	2. Meet me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY i FINISHED THIS! i AM HAPPY WITH IT NOW HUEHUEHUE

Yuu wanted to tear his hair out, he was so irritated! Ruki was clingy as all hell and made his life unbearable. Underneath all that anger was an irritating guy with a taste for pissing people off. 

But Yuu was thankful for one thing at least. The spirit was not at all violent. He was calm and didn't throw stuff around like other spirits would. The only thing that irritated him was the sheer sass coming from his mouth! Takanori liked to bite petty remarks at him anytime he wanted, the only thing keeping him from being truly malevolent was his need for help. Was this really how he was when he was alive? 

All that Yuu could do now was reply back just as haughtily at everything that was said. His laptop was his only friend right now, pawing through records on the local police website. He needed to go to the library after this. 

All he managed to figure out was that Takanori lived here when he died, hence the reason he was stuck here. But he had no idea where his body could be. 

It's been a week and a half since he has lived here, and he barely saw him aside from Sundays, his only day off. Which was today incidentally enough. So he had time to do some more research. 

"Hey, shorty," he called to the smaller male, who immediately sat up in attention. "When and where was the last time you were seen?"

"Oi, I'm only a few inches shorter than you!" he sharply replied. "Don't bite insults at my height, you damn raven!"

Jeez, he even talked weird. Like someone who was more angsty than they needed to be. An overdramatic teenager stuck in an adults body. 

"Just answer the question before I leave you alone again, okay?" 

Takanori immediately grew more melancholic, his anger turning into a silent rage. That was always enough to make him more... compliant.

"Uhh... People saw me last after I went drinking with a few friends in Akihabara," he mutters quietly, sitting on the couch. "After that everything got hazy."

"Do you remember the name of the bar?" 

The spirit hummed, closing his eyes in thought. Like this, he could see that the smaller one was... actually kind of cute, aside from the crinkle in his eyebrows. 

"No... All I know was that it was near the entrance to Akihabara station. That's all I can remember."

Yuu tsked, knowing there were definitely a lot of them near there. So he had to really go looking himself huh? Just great. 

"What about your friends?"

"Don't remember them. It's been a long time."

Yuu stopped typing, looking at Ruki confused. 

"Huh? Are you sure? How many years have you been here?" 

Takanori shrugged, letting his head loll back. 

"I only remember how many people have lived here since then.  A total of two families of five, three college students, and five salary workers. And there was a prostitute I think? But I think she left after a week."

"That many?!"

"Yup. Don't know how many years have passed, though."

Ugh great. Now Yuu would have to go talk to his apartment landlord. This was going to take a while. 

"So what now?" Takanori asked after he didn't respond. Yuu considered that, closing his laptop and standing up. It was still early afternoon so his Landlord had to be home right?

"I need to go do something," was all he answered and left to his room. Takanori was able to follow him easily and sits on top of the dresser. He started to undress but stopped when he realized Takanori was staring at him. "What?" 

takanori then smirked, his lips turning up devilishly. 

"You know, Yuu-kun. I never realized it but you're incredibly good looking. You sure you don't have a girlfriend?" he giggled. Yuu sighed, used to the weird questions by now. 

"If I did, she would most likely be here all the time," he finally says as he took off his shirt. "And anyway, I would much prefer a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend anyway."

Takanori squawked in a surprised manner, his smirk turning into a huge shit eating smile. 

"Oh? Yuu-kun, you're gay?"

"I'm bi, actually," Yuu grumbled. "But I do prefer guys, at least until the right girl comes along. Not like last time..."

The memory of his last girlfriend made him shudder. Takanori caught that and tilts his head. 

"So... What happened?"

It was a while ago, and Yuu dated Kouyou for a while before they broke up about a year ago due to their limited time together. And it lasted a grand total of four months. Now Kouyou and Akira were finally together since they lived in the same house now. It was all without the bad blood of course. 

"She was... for lack of a better term, a gold digger. She demanded ridiculous gifts and was a guilt tripper. I thought I loved her but... Well. She loved another guy but was with me because of my money. I came home to my other apartment and found her in another man's arms. In my bed of all places. It was... really over after that. So I kind of swore off girls after that."

Takanori hummed in disapproval, shaking his head as he ignored the pale skin of Yuu's bare chest being hidden by a graphic tee shirt not unlike his. 

"GIrls can be cruel," he agreed. "But I can understand boys better, hence the reason that I like guys."

"Exclusively?"

"Exclusively, indeed."

So Takanori was indeed gay. Interesting. Yuu managed to find a nice pair of pants and ignored the eyes of the spirit roaming up and down his legs. It was okay with him, Takanori was super cute. And there was the fact that even if he wanted to, he couldn't do anything since he was... well, dead. 

The thought made him feel incredibly melancholic for the romance that could never be. If only they had met under better circumstances.

"Well. I hope I can be of help," he says as he pulls on his boots. "Having a ghost in my house is cutting into my studying."

"Well sorryyyy," Takanori said with a roll of his eyes. "But if you were dead and trapped somewhere you would do the same thing I am."

Well he had a point. You couldn't imagine being stuck somewhere for years and not knowing how much time had passed. It sounded awful.

He huffed and turned to leave the apartment, still hearing Takanori follow close behind.

"You're right shorty. I would do the same."

"Oi! What did I just say??"

But Yuu just laughed and left the spirit alone, not realizing the lonesome longing sigh he left behind.

***********************

Staying at the landlord's apartment on the first floor took longer than he liked. Yutaka was kind but scatterbrained. His mind would wander and useless words would come out of his mouth for no reason. Retelling a month old story or telling you what brand of food he feeds his dog, it was ridiculous.

It was only after Yuu said that he was in a hurry that he finally got his butt in gear.

"A young boy about your age?" The sunshine brunette inquires as You sits in his living room with an offered water bottle. "Hmm... now that you mention it I do recall a young man staying here not so long ago, about seven years back."

Yuu gasped.

"Was his name Takanori by any chance?"

Yutaka thought hard, digging in his brain.

"Mmm... I think so? Man, so many people have stayed in that unit I can't remember all that much. Plus I still have to keep track of all the people who stay here." 

"So... You don't remember anything?"

Yutaka laughed nervously and shrugged. 

"There are over twenty apartments on three floors, Yuu-kun. That's a lot of people for one person."

Right. Yuu should have figured that. Well, he still had other places to visit. 

"Oh, well. Thank you anyways."

******************************

The next few weeks would pass just the same. He went to the local library to look through records of missing people, or ask the police for their help as a... quote-unquote, research student of the town's history. This works like a charm because the police were more than happy to help him out. 

Unfortunately, that also meant he found out more than he thought he needed to. They had successfully tracked down the mysterious boy that Yuu had been freaking out about, and after countless hours of scrounging through the old police records in the back rooms of the department, the truth was finally revealed. After nearly two months of searching, he finally had his answers. 

Matsumoto Takanori. A college student just like himself was last seen leaving a themed club in Harajuku by the name of "Monster Party" without any friends. Then he disappeared down an alleyway, only to never come out. The cameras stationed around the clubs had to be looked through, and after going back nearly five years they finally saw him. He was nervous as he left the club, and entered the nearest opening. The club at the end of the alley never showed him coming back out. All the while, the police saw a dark figure in a black hoodie stalking him every step of the way. 

They never found the body. That was what was keeping Ruki here. He needed to be set to rest. The head of the police had Yuu save his number in case they found anything else. 

In all this time together, Ruki had been a nickname he started to call the younger, he didn't know why though. 

Yuu shuddered deeply and had to calm himself enough to take down notes and after getting a copy of the tapes put together on a USB stick he left for home. 

Hopefully, Ruki could help him answer the questions buzzing through his mind. 

********************************

When he got home Ruki was struggling to turn on the TV, his fingers barely managing to grab the remote before it slipped out. He pouted and gave up as Yuu walked in the living room. 

"You're finally back!" he exclaimed excitedly and floated to Yuu with a huge hopeful look on his face. "Well? Did you find anything?"

Oh Yuu did, he definitely found something. His nervous demeanor was all that Ruki needed to know that the helpful boy was troubled. 

"Yes... And hopefully, it will help you remember what happened and pass on. Come on, follow me."

Ruki nervously floated behind Yuu to his bedroom and to the laptop sitting on his desk. It buzzed to life, and he had to take a deep breath before plugging in the USB. 

"Yuu-kun..."

The boy didn't answer and just played the video on the files stored on the drive. Ruki's eyes glued to the screen, and he helplessly sat on the edge of the desk to watch, his earlier bright demeanor all but sucked out of him. 

It took nearly ten minutes, but after watching everything the ghost seemed to be in a trance. Worried, Yuu attempts to touch his shoulder, sighing when his fingers only passed through. But it snaps Ruki from his state and large ghostly tears start to pour from his eyes. 

"Ruki-chan..."

The smaller male sniffled and floated out of the room. 

"I remember."

That was all that Yuu needed to follow after him. Ruki leads him out of the building altogether, surprising Yuu since he thought Ruki was stuck there. 

"Where are we going?" 

Ruki didn't answer him and kept floating through the streets of people until they came to a building about three blocks away. Here the ghost stopped and turned down the small opening in between the buildings. Yuu scrambled to follow, wondering if this was where Ruki's body was dumped. 

However, when they came out on the other side Ruki kept going and going. Soon they ended up in an old styled residential area with the walls and family manors. Did rich people live here? What was Ruki doing? 

Still, he followed, getting led to a small space just behind all the fancy houses on a gravel road and past so many cherry trees. Then Ruki led him to a pathway leading up a hill. They walked all the way, seeing more and more trees until no more houses were around. Just a sidewalk or two. Then they stopped, right at the top of the hill. There, nestled in some trees, was a building. An old clinical building from the way that a wooden sign painted with 'clinic' was stuck into the ground.

Yuu could never have imagined this place to exist. Where were they?

"Here," he heard Ruki murmur and float to the building. "It's here." 

Then he sped off quickly, disappearing into the walls. Yuu had to look around himself before following right behind. It seemed abandoned, but no windows were broken, and there was a surprising amount of well trimmed grass surrounding the sidewalks.

There were no people around whatsoever. But when he went inside he was surprised to see people inside. Old people mostly, but people nonetheless. A desk sat just beyond the door, and a young nurse at an ancient computer. She looked up at him, and smiled warmly. 

"Hello! How may I help you?" 

Yuu swallowed. He had to be here right? He looked around and saw the ghost impatiently standing at a door labeled 'ICU,' his eyes glossed over.

"Is there... A patient here named Takanori? Matsumoto Takanori?"

The name didn't seem to ring a bell, and the nurse pursed her lips. 

"No, no Takanori here... How old is this boy?"

"College aged, has dark hair. Was last seen five years ago."

At that the nurse seemed to light up and she made an 'aha' sound. Was he here?

"Ah! I see! We had a very young John Doe come in five years ago, badly injured. He had been here in a coma for over five years, perhaps that is him?"

A... coma? Could it be that Ruki wasn't dead? 

"Can I... See him?" 

The nurse nods and has him fill out a form before having another nurse take him to that same door Ruki loitered at. She made small talk as she unlocked the door with a key. 

"No one has come to see him in five years, I don't know what it keeping him alive despite his injuries being healed. It's good to know someone has hope."

Yuu swallowed, hoping he wasn't wrong. He would need to call the police here if he was right. Ruki could still be alive..? 

Through there was a small hallway of rooms, only about five on either side unlike a larger hospital. And she took him directly to the last one on the left. Ruki was there again, his eyes now darting from side to side. 

"Yeah... I needed to know what happened."

This was it. Ruki could be just beyond those doors. Or, he should start saying Takanori again, since he could still be alive. 

"Well, here he is. I hope he is who you're looking for. Call me if you need me okay?"

She gave him a smile and walked off, leaving him alone. Once gone, he looked around for Ruki, and saw him behind him, waiting. 

"What if it's true..? What if I'm not dead?" he wonders, his voice soft and hopeful. "What if this is all just a really long dream?"

Yuu smiled and puts his hand on the handle. 

"Then... We'll finally be able to meet for real."

With a deep breath, he opened the door, letting his eyes take in the room. White, lit by the window on the far wall. A single bed. A bed with a figure nestled into it with the sound of beeping in the background. A figure that, as Yuu walked closer, made his heart thump. 

"Ruki," he breathed out and the sound made Ruki whimper softly. "It's really you."

Sleeping as peacefully as ever, a machine helped him to breathe. Tubes were in his nose, and an IV dripped into his bloodstream. His face was pale, and long black hair framed his face, contrary to the shortness on the out of body version. 

Slow as a snail, Ruki approached, and after giving a whine in his throat let himself slowly fall onto the bed into his body. Yuu watched, hoping with all his heart. A few seconds pass without the ghostly apparition beside him, then a miracle. 

The machine, once a steady beat of slow heartbeats, began to beep frantically and his heart nearly gives out. Ruki's body jerked and then his eyes opened. Gasping filled the room, and then he was coughing hoarsely. 

He was here. Alive, not dead..! 

"Takanori," he whispered and dropped to his knees in front of the bed. "You're here..."

Weakly, the boy looked around himself, confused for a moment. Then as he calmed down, he finally sees Yuu there. Full peach colored lips, dried and chapped, slowly begin to turn upwards in a smile. 

"Yuu...kun..."

That small voice was all Yuu needed to act on his urge to feel the body in his arms. Slow and steady he held out a hand, placing it on a warm living cheek. The feeling sends shockwaves through his body, and the gentle tears that were held back begin to roll down freely.

This was real. They were finally able to touch..! 

Takanori sighed peacefully and leaned into the touch, his own tears dripping down his face. 

"You're here," he mumbled. "You're really here. Thank you..."

Yuu smiled, and brushed back the long black strands covering his face and cheeks. Then boldly he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to that same cheek his hand was on. Takanori hummed in response, his voice as beautiful as ever. 

"Of course I am. Always."

************************

** EPILOGUE **

The five year coma survivor became a local celebrity after he woke up, and after being found so long after disappearing he was now able to remember what happened. He remembered names, he remembered faces. 

Most importantly, he remembered the face and name of his so called 'killer,' and now that he was alive they were able to find the slimy man living somewhere in Ikebukoro, running a drug ring. 

Then, of course, there was the deal with Ruki's parents. It took a week of living with Yuu, but he finally mustered up the courage to go looking for them. 

The Matsumoto Household was in Kanagawa, a place that Yuu never imagined he would visit.  

He learned so much about Takanori these past few days. The boy had gone to Tokyo for the university Yuu was in, but only got to enjoy himself for a year before that man tried to kill him.

On the train ride there, their hands were entwined together, their bond creating a sense of closeness that had long transcended simple friendship. And as Yuu pressed his lips to Takanori's forehead he knew that this was definitely leading somewhere else. And since Takanori was alive and not dead, he didn't need to feel guilty about falling for a dead boy. 

"Yuu-kun," Takanori murmured, his voice sweet and soft. Yuu smiled down at him, admiring the long hair pulled into a beautiful ponytail on his head. 

"Mm?"

Then Takanori leaned up, pressed a kiss to his lips and smiled sweetly. A kiss that, in Yuu's opinion was long since overdue.

"I love you. Thank you for putting up with me."

His heart swelled with emotions that he had a hard time controlling. Yuu smiled back and went in for another one, and another and another. Until Takanori was a blushing mess then he stopped. 

"I love you too, my mystery boy.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that his apartment was 'haunted,' then they would have never met. And he would not give him up for the world. 

 

** END **


End file.
